Secrets
by Spotteh
Summary: The green teen laughed- who would have thought Raven liked to this? It was downright hilarious! No way he was gonna let her live this down!    T for cussing and sexual humor.
1. Ch1: Not Exactly Stalking

"…And so he says, "That's not a carrot; that's my wife! Haha! Get it?" A certain green being nudged his silent audience. The teen, noticeably annoyed snapped her book shut in frustration and shot a murderous glance at the boy.

"That was not funny, Beast Boy. I don't know why you try."

The mentioned grinned, knowing his teammate's patience was wearing thin. He'd been trying to get the stoic girl to laugh for an hour and a half- the sun had long set and it was nearing six.

"You didn't even listen!" He whined at her, pouting childishly.

"And still you try…"

"Aw, Raven, give it a chance." He usually would have left the girl alone long ago, but everyone was fed up after surviving a week of Beast Boy's endless antics. Raven was the only one spared- until today.

He was feeling particularly rambunctious since it was _that_ time of the year. While his human could keep it at bay, there was no denying that heat made the green teen a little more adventurous. He was more energetic than usual (some might say more suicidal) and he had to find a positive outlet. Annoying his teammates just so happened to be a side effect.

"I've been trying to get you to laugh for hours!" He continued, but stopped as a look of panic flickered over her face. "What's wrong, I-"

"Has it really been that long?" She asked in her careful monotone.

"Well, time flies when you're have fun with a handsome- hey! Where are you going?"

During his self-adoration fest, his company had stood and briskly walked out of the main room. He rushed to trail her. "Hey, wait up-!"

He thanked his reflexes as he almost ran right into her, but managed to skid to a swift halt.

"Beast Boy." Her tone was a cool warning tone that made me shiver. "I have things to do. Leave me alone." She disappeared into her room, cape fluttering behind her. All he could do was call after her: "Later then!"

With a half-hearted wave at the closed door, he sulked back to the main room. He sat wondering what to do. His skin prickled as it always did when Raven glared at him- her warning not to say anything as she made her way out of the tower. For a while he flipped through channels, but that got boring and the hero began to fidget. Then, he played some Gamestation, but that made him restless too. His mind kept wandering to his dark haired teammate.

Where did she go? What was she doing? Come to think of it, where did she always go when she disappeared for hours after nightfall? The first time it happened years ago, they'd accepted her refusal to explain and left it at that. It had never really affected her or the team either way, so they had no reason to pry other than curiosity. Robin had chalked it up to Raven finding a hobby- even since defeating The Brotherhood of Evil, crime was in a loll. Beast Boy had nearly forgotten about it.

He tried for a little longer to wrestle the thoughts way, but to avail. That was when he decided- he was going to find out. It seemed perfect- he'd satisfy his curiosity and pacify his restlessness in one go.

He started by following her scent (in hound-dog form) to the east of the island, towards the city. Unfortunately, she would have had to fly to get from the island to the city, so he'd loose the trail. His dog-tongue panted out, in thrill of the hunt. His beasts' lust stirred as he thought of it. He shook it away and switched to bird form- wincing when he realized he chose a raven. While he felt the lust for pretty much every girl (a side effect of his polygamous forms), his monogamous counterparts had a strong inclination towards the dark female. He didn't understand it anymore than any other spontaneous urges he sometimes felt. They were just there. Luckily, with a whole lifetime worth of control, he could deny his animalistic whims with minimal efforts.

He dropped back to the ground and switched back to a blood hound. He caught a very faint whiff of his target- an enchanting mix of green tea and lavender and magic. After an hour of tracing it, the smell got really strong, carrying with it a hint of excitement. If Raven's scent hadn't been so unique, he would have doubled back to check himself. Though the girl would emit her emotions through her smell- something she could never block and, frankly, Beast Boy would never tell her about- excitement was one he had never smelt on her before.

He looked up at the building in front of him, his jaw dropping. It was a dance theater- the marquee stunned him- in proud letters, it announced: "A night of Exploration in Salsa, Samba and Tango! Featuring: Heilo, Incendio, and Máscara."

The green teen laughed to himself- who would have thought Raven liked to watch dancing? And such cheesy names! It was downright hilarious! He looked at the sign again, his side-splitting laughter ebbed. No way he was gonna let her live this down once he found her! With a naughty chuckle, he shifted to a mouse and scurried in through a crack in the door. He was an hour late after all- the entrance was already barred.

The place was packed with people dressed fancily. Glasses of wine and champagne rested throughout the place- waiters scurried to tables with couples chatting quietly. Raven's scent was lost in this place- replaced by scents of perfumes, excitement, joy and sweat. He grumbled- or rather squeaked in his mouse form- and scurried unnoticed to a table close to the polished dance floor. Currently, no one was dancing. He shifted into a fly under the table and flew to the wall, scanning quickly for his teammate. She was no where to be seen. He realized with an inner frown than he had never seen her in fancy clothes before anyways, so he was unlikely to notice her.

Besides, the thought of seeing Raven dressed up was alluring indeed. The heat swelled inside him again, but he pushed it away roughly. 'Focus, focus, focus, foc-' His musings were interrupted by a bodiless voice.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" The buzz of chatter died at the sound. "Introducing, the worthy Incendio and his partner- Chispas, bringing to you the Brazilian Samba!"

A polite round of claps greeted the couple as they took their positions on the floor- rather the female one did. The lights above the table dimmed as the stage lights shone brighter. The woman wore a tight silver top that ended under her breasts and a mid-thigh matching silver skirt. Around her belly button was a bejeweled swirl of red stones that matched the shade of her short, curly hair. Even though he didn't know this woman, Beast Boy couldn't help but enjoy the sight- she was hot.

A seduction tune began to play and she launched herself into the sexiest dance the teen had ever witnessed. The swirl on her belly contorted as her hips swayed to the fast beat. A guy clad in a tuxedo appeared beside her and she through out an arm to him. He grabbed her hand and spun her into him. Halfway to him, he lifted her up, throwing one of her legs over his shoulder. She arched off him and into a split onto the floor. She seemed to float up. The man, Incendio no doubt, reached for her, but she shimmed backwards with only a hand on his chest keeping him backwards. He grabbed her hand, pulling her towards him; she stiffened and fell backwards, only to be caught by him. He tossed her from that position to her feet. She immediately launched into the same dance as before, with him echoing from behind. She did her dance in a circle, once, twice, then grabbed his outreached hand and danced around him. They switched hands and he pulled her into another spin before wrapping his hand under her breast and the other on her thigh and pulled her up. She wrapped the leg he was holding around his and arched her back in a sensual way. She was released and he dropped down just in time to avoid a high kick. She twirled and fell backwards, all the way down to his crouching form. He grabbed her and she arched her back once more- with that momentum she sprang back up. He grabbed her hand, now standing and they did the little dance while grasping each other. He spun her into him and dipped her back into a sensual arch as the music swelled to an abrupt end.

Polite applause sounded as the two heaving individuals leapt into another intimate dance. Beast Boy's head was spinning. He couldn't believe dancing could be this interesting. That sexy number did little to calm his animalistic lust; it was… hot. 'No wonder Raven came.' He chuckled inside. The dance fascinated him- how could anyone be that flexible? And how could she dance with those heels? They were high, the highest he'd seen in real life. If she fell, it would be the end of her career, no doubt.

The music stopped for a second time and the two exited offstage. The chatter returned as the lights relight on the crowd. The fly on the wall tried to picture why Raven would go here- certainly not for the sexiness of it. Just imagining her considering something so seductive sent his lust into frenzy; but his logic refused to see it. The dark haired girl was emotionless and detached from every feeling he struggled with. He shrugged the thoughts away with an inward sigh and recalled his favorite parts of the previous dances.

"Ladies and Gentleman!" Just like before, the chatter ceased and Beast Boy was yanked into reality. Of course, if this dance was anything like before, he wouldn't mind. He could just find Raven after the show. "We give you what you've been waiting for! The famous, world-renowned tango dancer that whirls men into temptation- Máscara!" The crowd erupted in an applause that would put wrestling enthusiasts to shame. The animals in the hero stirred at the description and he had no idea if it was a good or a bad thing. "And her guest dancer, the magnificent Oculto!

All the lights switched off- even the stage remained dark. Then, a single spotlight illuminated a female.

She was medium height with a body that would put Chispas' to shame. She stood on high red heels with black lace patterns and a black ribbon that twirled around her calves to hold them there. The black and red perfectly matched the dress she wore. The dress ended mid-thigh in the front, but sloped to knee length in the back. Black lace created off-the-shoulder straps. Like the shoes, a lace overlaid the whole dress, which was skin tight. The cut danced over the top of her breasts, but not in a slutty way. Her hair was pulled into a short black ponytail. Most noticeably, however, a black mask covered half her face, hiding all her features save dark red lips that matched her pale skin perfectly. Beast Boy's stomach dropped at the sight- the animal nature inside him was raising with a vengeance.

The music started a hauntingly slow tune. _Click, click_- the music rang- the dancer rolled her shoulders in time. The second time, another spotlight illuminated a man in an entirely black suit. Heavy drums beat out a rhythmic beat; the two stepped closer as it boomed. Then, an arm reach away, the music paused- the couple followed its example. Swiftly, Oculto ripped off his coat, leaving him in a half buttoned red shirt- the coat flew discarded into the crowd. The turned their back to the audience with a loud stomp in time with the rhythmic piano noise, then whirled into the basic form. Two steps towards him and he let her twirl in place as he shifted sides. She jumped into an effortless lift as he twirled her around and dropped her in low position, one knee kneeling with the other leg stretched out in a unending line. She wasted no time and to the beat of the piano pluckings, kicked her leg in a series of snappy moves around him. Then she fell forward unto him with grace and he dragged her down the stage. She then regained herself and stepped backwards- he followed her with every step. Her hand shot forward, pushing him into a kneel on the ground. He offered a hand and she rested a flexible leg on his shoulder before kicking him away as she let go of his hand. As he crawled backwards, she stalked after in several moves that looked distinctly like kicking. At the edge of the stage, she lunged at him, only to stop expertly extremely close to his legs. He jumped up, outraged, and they circled, stomping on beat. She grabbed his head and they spun, pausing so she could dip him down, back up and pushed him away. He grabbed one of the hands and twirled her in, lifting her and gracefully setting her down so she was closer to the edge of the stage. Resting a hand on his chest, she moved him backwards to the center of the stage and he stumbled backwards on beat. The drums grew heavier, faster as the two rounded each other; every time the drums grew erratic, she would shimmy, her feet shifting in fancy footwork in perfect time. Finally, he rushed forward, twisting her into him so he stood behind her. She shifted to the side, hooking a foot in between his legs and rubbing upwards before twirling herself back in front of him. His hand shot up, and hers followed slowing rubbing upwards. His other hand snaked around her midsection. She spun in her cage twice before facing him. Her leg shot up (supported by his hand) and she leaned into him, their lips surprisingly close to touching. The music ended the moment they halted; the lights blinked off as soon as the music did. Everyone broke into wild applause. Only five minutes later, different music began and the pair launched into a series of impressive and sensual moves.

Beast Boy watched with growing arousal as the couple did three more dances, each becoming more provocative and complicated. His was the opposite of where he figured Raven would be and what he considered dance recitals to be. He thought his teammate would be in a creepy bookstore, or a darkened café. He also imagined dance recitals as a snob's pastime with lots of tu-tus. The costumes here were surprisingly sexier than his creation's. But he couldn't observe from a wall all day- he needed to find Raven.

A quick scan revealed no one he knew. His mind spun, in a whirl of lust and concern. Had the dark-haired girl known he would follow and led him astray? If so, did she know about his heat as well? Had she been here, but sensed him and fled in order to avoid taunting? Had she been kidnapped? Worry threw itself into the emotional cocktail slowly affecting the green hero.

The show was over and people filed out while others lingered to talk longer or finish their drinks. He didn't see Raven's violet hair on anyone, but she could be disguised to avoid attention? She hadn't been when she left the tower. He sighed at the hopelessness of it all and flew out the open doors, into the night.

He needed to get back to the tower.

**Spotteh says: How's that for a mega-chapter? This series will be updated irregularly, especially since I am taking a butt-load of hard classes next year and it's my senior year, so my grades have to be good. **

**Plus, I'm working on writing a crime novel, but right now it's just a vague thought. **

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed **


	2. Ch2: Red Handed

Beast Boy gasped for air as he stumbled into the tower. He had raced to get there- it was already eleven and he knew Robin would be pissed. Not that he cared much about that. He had to see if Raven got home. Like a thorn, it stuck in his mind as he ran through the streets and rocketed through the air. It seemed foolish, but he was worried. Even his animalistic lust was squashed under the concern that provided him with several impossible scenerios. No way would Raven be kidnapped easily. There would be signs, battle remnants; he tried to reason with himself. No luck there.

But now he was home and in trouble. Robin sat in one of the chairs facing the entrance, standing when the green teen appeared, looking winded.

"Beast Boy, what happened?" He sounded concerned, his mask furrowed. The addressed held back a snort.

"…Rushed… home… Raven… where?" He managed bits and pieces in between pants.

"She's in her room asleep." A hand vaguely swept towards the hallway door.

"Oh."

"Where were you?" Beast Boy knew now that the leader knew he was in no danger, he'd be in trouble. The boy chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. He didn't want to lie, but he didn't want to reveal Raven's secret- or that he had enjoyed it. Robin crossed his arms in an impatient manner.

"Well, you see, there was this cat… in a tree. Yeah. I tried to get it down for this little girl, but it wouldn't let me near because I… smelled like a dog. We had to, um, wait until it fell asleep."

The vein of Robin's forehead pulsed dangerously- he knew the green one was lying. He rubbed his temples in annoyance.

"Listen, I don't appreciate being lied to, but I respect your privacy. As long as there's no trouble. Go to bed."

He stalked off, with the other staring after. Maybe this coming home late thing had its advantages.

"By the way," called Robin as he left the room, "dish duty tomorrow. For being late. Don't make it a habit."

Beast boy groaned and followed his leader out of the dark room and went to his own. He didn't feel tired, though. His mind raced with everything it witnessed- when he closed his eyes, he saw the seductive dances. The smell of the theater radiated off his clothes. Now that his worry over his teammate had resided, his heat returned forcefully. He tossed and turned against it, knowing he'd have to fight it away. For the first time, he regretting going to that place and watching. He still had two months of this, and the images burned freshly in his mind. He could tell he wouldn't forget them soon.

Three hours later, Beast Boy was still wide awake. Groaning in frustration, he gave up trying to sleep at all. Now, all he desired was a release from the memories. He got up and dressed lazily- an oversized tee-shirt covered to his thighs. It would be good enough- no one would be up anyways. Dizzy with fatigue, he stumbled into the main room- his eyes widened. The tv was already on; the news droned.

"Oh, hey." His company certainly looked unhappy to see him. He plopped down on the couch as she wordlessly grunted in return.

"I didn't know you liked the news." He attempted another conversation. There was a lot he didn't know about Raven. Maybe he'd learn another new thing.

"…I used to watch it before _that_ time." She whispered; that time was when she was meant to destroy the world. Beast Boy slightly frowned. "It's a habit now." She simply shrugged at him. The silence stretched as the news gave way to commercials. Her eyes never wavering from the screen, she spoke again.

"You shouldn't have followed me." Beast Boy fidgeted- so she did know. "I sensed you."

"Oh."

"I keep some things secret for a reason." There was a cold anger in her voice, but nothing compared to when she was fuming.

"Why? That was… pretty cool." He scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Really?" He could smell the surprise on her. Her eyes had turned to him.

"Yeah, especially the last ones! Mascara and Oc-something. They were great." He grinned, spurred on by her surprise.

"Máscara and Oculto." She corrected him, off handedly. "Mascara is make-up. Máscara is Spanish for mask. She's not that good." She looked away.

"She was awesome!" He countered, drawing closer to his companion. "I can't believe she coul-"

"Why did you follow me?" She interrupted.

"I was bored. Nothing better to do." She looked at him again with that critical eye that sized him up. He squirmed slightly- the silence grew. She'd even muted the tv- she meant business. While his human self felt uneasy under the glare, his animal side lapped it up, enjoying the dominating gaze.

"Your emotions, they are different." She stated before turning back to the tv. "You cannot sleep because of them?" He nodded, his mouth dry. How did she know?  
"I feel it all." She wiped a piece of hair behind her ear, once again not looking at him. "They're strong." The flicking light from the tv danced on her stony face. Beast Boy didn't know what to say, so he decided to be quiet… for once. The screen blinked off, showering the two in almost darkness. The only light was the faint moonlight but it was fading away fast.

"Good night, Beast Boy." He saw her hand move in the pale moonlight. Her middle finger rested in between his eyes. Instantly, the animal emotions began to quiet and a wave of sleep threatened to overtake him. His eyes slipped closed and the cool pressure on his forehead moved away. He fell into a deep sleep.

**Spotteh says: Thank you for your kind words :) I love the commentary, so please continue to critic me as I continue the story!**

**I hope it isn't painfully obvious where this is going! Haha. Thankyouthankyouthankyou! **


	3. Ch 3: Just a Joke

"Come on, Raven, you _know_ I'm the best comedian ever!" Beast Boy whined to his reading teammate. With an obvious twitch, she slammed the book shut.

"You are not a comedian, you are a clown." She snarls in monotone, a surprising feat. The green teen scratched his head in confusion.

"What's the difference?" The rest of the team watched wearily, fearing for their stupid teammate. No one ever survived interrupting Raven's reading twice. Not that anyone was dumb enough to, until now. Without even glancing up from her novel, Raven explained: "People laugh with comedians. People laugh _at _clowns."

Beast Boy's eyes bugged out for a moment, before he rolled on the floor in laughter. The three observers watched with surprised expressions- eyes wide and mouth's dropped.

"What?" She snapped, suddenly aware of their looks.

"When did you get a sense of humor?" The green one supplied with a grin. "Looks like I'm wearing off on you!"

"Somebody save her!" Cyborg called over, trying to save his friend from the back aura floating around the girl.

"Hey Cy, what do you call a computer crossed with a prostitute?"

"Man, that is so wrong.."

"A fucking know-it-all!"

"Oh yeah, Teeny Greeny? What do a green guy and a moped have in common?" The robo-teen was now face-to-face with the green one.

"Hey!"

"They're both fun to ride until your friends see you with them!" Cyborg busted out in laughter while Beast Boy stared. A blushing Robin attempted to explain the joke to Starfire, who was confused. Raven was shocked by the dirty joke- her face was a deep red that he had never seen on her before. But Beast Boy ignored it.

"Did you hear about the man who had the penis transp-" He was cut of by a pale hand clamping his mouth shut. He tried to mummer through the bond.

"Shut. Up." Raven's normal calm tone was replaced by anger and mortification. Her nails dug into the side of his mouth as he fought to free himself. "You are not funny. Do. Not. Try. Either of you." She shot a threatening glance at Cyborg, whom she also had trapped. Swiftly, she grabbed her book and stalked out of the room, a trail of barely controlled black swirls following. Nobody wanted to break the silence- two felt like children chided by their mother, while Robin looked shocked at the dark-haired girl's behavior and Starfire seemed confused. The last broke the silence after a moment of consideration.

"Please, friends, what is a 'penis'? Why is Raven upset over it?"

It was silent for a moment as the alien's question registered. Robin choked while the other males laughed uproariously. He shot the two a warning glance before pushing Starfire out of the room.  
"I'll tell you on the roof."

Beast Boy couldn't help but grin. Everything was back to normal- it was as if last night had never happened. Not that he could remember much about it, just waking up and seeing Raven on the couch. Then, he just fell asleep or something.

"Man, you should go apologize." Cyborg nudged Beast Boy towards the hallway. The boy tried to fight, but it was a losing battle. His assailant was way to big for him anyways. Thinking quickly, he changed into an octopus, sticking himself to the doorframe.

"Duuuude! Why do I always have to apologize?"

"'Cuz you're always the one pissing her off!"

After a little back and forth, pushing and shoving, threats and curses, the green teen trudged to his doom- Raven's room.

Feeling déjà vu, he knocked on her door.

"Hey, Raven. I, um, sorry for the thing in the main room. Me and Cy were just messing around. We didn't mean to embarrass you or… something."

"Forget it." came the monotone reply. The door slid open, revealing Raven fully. She had a bag in her hand and gave him a moment's glance before slipping around him and striding towards the main room.

"Hey, where ya going?" He caught up with her, happy with her quick forgiveness. Usually, she could hold a grudge to hell and back before she'd forgive him. This new-found friendship between them stirred his emotions (who had been quite stable since the morning) into a frenzy.

"There's a show tonight." She shrugged simply, drawing the bag closer to her. Beast Boy's brow rose at that.

"Cool! Can I go?"

"That is up to you."

"Awesome, when do we leave?" He grinned widely at being so accepted into Raven's interests. Maybe he should take up magic, too. Raven looked at him, frowning.

"You should leave later. I have.. something to do before I go."

"Oh, cool. See ya then!" He waved before diving into the couch, challenging Cyborg and Robin to a videogame match. He looked back to see her nod before she left the tower.

That was when Beast Boy noticed the silence.

"Hey guys, why are you looking at me like that?"

Both boys had sinister grins on their face. The boy gulped as the two cornered him on the couch.

"So, where are you and Ravvveeeeeen going tonight?"

Cyborg asked, practically singing their teammate's name.

"I think Beast Boy has a little date." Robin teased, smirking at the stuttering green teen.

"No way, dudes! It's not like that!" He felt his face flush and he knew there was not escaping the teasing.

"Oh, looks like you're right, Robin."

"Look at that blush!"

"And he tries to deny it!"

"Dudes! We're going to see a tango show tonight! She said you guys could come!" Beast Boy lied without thought. He was flustered from the teasing and the blushing and the way it sent his animal side on a heated frenzy.

"Oh really now?" Cyborg grinned. Meanwhile, Starfire had abandoned her cooking to watch the teasing.

"Oh, Robin! I would much love to see Earth dancing! Please may we go?" She gave him that innocent face that always got her way. He blushed slightly.

"What time is this dance?"

"Um, I dunno. Sevenish?"

"Alright, what else do we need to know?"

Obviously, Robin was trying hard to find a logical reason to refuse.

"You gotta dress up." Beast Boy grinned sheepishly, entertaining the thought of seeing Raven in a dress.

"Oh, yes Robin! We must go!" Starfire squealed as she dragged Boy Wonder into the hallway. Cyborg gave him a weird look before leaving for his own room, grumbling about crushes and hormones.

With a shrug, Beast Boy raced off to his own room to change.

The theatre was just as packed as the last time Beast Boy was there, but someone- they presumed Raven- had left tickets at the door for him. The others had to pay their own way, which they grumbled about. It was fun to see the other dances, but the thing the teen enjoyed most was his teammate's reactions. In between watching the dancing and trying to find Raven, it was funny to watch them. Cyborg stared, open-mouthed, at the sensual moves. Starfire's eyes glowed happily- Beast Boy knew she'd drag Robin into it the first chance she got. Robin was interested, but to a lesser degree then the others. He sat with his arms crossed and watched with the eye of a karate master, waiting for a mistake.

By the end of the show, Beast Boy's heat was raging and they still hadn't met up with Raven. Fidgeting with the bowtie on his tux- was it hot in that place or what?- he looked around once more. Most of the room had cleared out and it would be easier to find her, supposedly. Then, they spotted her, like a black gem in a sea of red.


	4. Ch 4: Playlists

Amidst the swirls of bright colored dresses, the black outfit was certainly unique. His teammate was chatting lightly with a tall, Hispanic man. All of Beast Boy's ideas about a fancy Raven paled in comparison. His mouth dropped open as he gaped rather foolishly.

Her dress was a shimmering black that ended around her knees. With the dress was simple enough- no fancy stitching or even an outlandish design, it fit her body perfectly. The sheer black short sleeves rippled softly as she moved. The gathered top split to reveal some cleavage- not a lot though- and the snug waist cascaded into a wave of black silk that swayed with her. Her pale skin seemed creamy, like the moon or a bowl of milk. Beast Boy had the sudden urge to jump her and struggled, with a visible wince, to ignore the heat.

Then, Raven locked eyes with him and the animals inside him growled hungrily- the look on her face showed him she knew the team was there and she was not happy about it. He fidgeted with his bow tie once again- it was hot in here. He watched Raven turn back to her companion, who nodded with a smile and took her hand. Then, the stranger kissed it lightly before disappearing into the crowd.

Beast Boy growled under his breath, spurred on by his animal side. He shook the thoughts away as she wove over to join them. A quick glance at Robin revealed only the furrow of his brow- he was confused about the stranger- and Starfire's eyes glittered happily. Cyborg's low chuckle vibrated in the green one's ears.

"Oh, Friend Raven!" Starfire squealed when her friend drew close, "it is most delightful that you have found a boyfriend!" She hugged her stoic friend, who wiggled free before she could be squashed.

"He's not my boyfriend." She replied hastily, casting her eyes downwards. But, Beast Boy swore he could see a twinge of red on her cheeks. His pointy ears dropped a little at the idea.

"Aw, Raven's got a boyfrienddd~" Cyborg teased in a singsong voice as the purple haired girl ushered them outside. Her eyebrow twitched in annoyance and she cast a glance back at the straggling green boy, who shrunk under the glare.

Back in the T-car, Beast Boy fidgeted from beside Raven. Sure, they were all in formal wear, but she looked nice. And he couldn't get the memory of the Hispanic man out of his mind. It played on a repeated loop in his brain- like his heat, he couldn't shake it away. He groaned softly and stared out the window. He watched the land begin to lurch.

"So," Robin started his interrogation from the front seat, "who was that guy?" He had some creepy, anal control obsession where he had to know about the team's interactions with non-team members.

"That was Oculto, the male who dances with Máscara." She replied evenly. Robin made some comment and Raven grunted in response. Starfire jumped into an animated account of the dances, with commentary from the others.

Still, Beast Boy didn't turn from the city streaking past him. If he could reach through the window, maybe he could grab something. Even though the world was passing him by, if he had the guts, he could thrust his hand out and grasp something and it would be his. No one could take it. It would be his and his only. The animals inside him raged at the thought, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut. He was feeling a little sick. Dizzy.

Maybe staring out the window was not such a great idea. His fists clenched in his lap. The world was spinning- even the blackness in his eyes seemed to dance sickeningly. Would anything be still? Why wouldn't it stop?

It stopped abruptly. Through the fog of his now clearing mind, he felt a presence on his back, a hand resting in between his shoulder blades. The touch was cool and soothing. Even his raging animal nature was silent. Still, instead of feeling entirely relieved, he felt tired, in the can't-move-a-muscle, pass-out-while-standing exhausting way. He shifted slightly, resting his head on the glass of the car and let his heavy eyes fall. He was out like a light.

Next thing he knew, he was being shaken awake. The fog in his mind dissipated as the thing- the person- shoved him again. Blinking away tired tears, he turned to face a bored face.

"Are you going to get out of the car sometime today?" The emotionless voice inquired. Beautiful pale skin and wide purple eyes blinked at him. A huge yawn escaped Beast Boy's lips. His eyes slipped closed only to feel himself sliding off the seat and into the air and-_slam_- onto the ground.

"Aw, Raven." He whined, rubbing his backside. He'd be bruised for weeks. The animal side inside of him growled in approval. A blush set his cheeks on fire.

"AlrightwellI'!" He managed to choke out before sprinting into the tower. In the safety of his room, he groaned, pulling at his hair. \

"Shutup!Shutup!Shutup!" He hissed at the creatures in his mind. They roared in protest, but quieted after a moment. There was no reason for them to be clamorous at the present. They were too sluggish with sleepiness anyways.

And to think, he only had two months of this hell left. With a tired sigh, he undressed and climbed into the lower bunk of his bed.

Beast Boy always loved noon. It was the perfect time. The sun was high and shining. It was the bridge between times, so to speak. To the changeling, there was no better way to spend noon then annoying a rather stoic teammate of his.

Unfortunately for him, she was no where to be seen. She wasn't in her room, or on the roof, or anywhere on the island. He checked the whole Tower (except the basement, but that place was just too creepy.) Nobody knew where she was either.

The green teen frowned lightly as he thought over the possible places she could be. The only thought he could get, though, was that her room would tell him where she was. He fought that thought away viciously- he'd learned his lesson from going into that creepy place the first time.

After hours of musing blankly, he trudged to the common room to find something to occupy his mind._ 'Alright, Beast Boy, let's see. There's Mega Monkeys 5, Speed Racer... I could watch a movie. We have_-' His mind froze as it was caught by a reflective silver light. '_Oh, score!_' He did a victory dance as he scooped up the iPod, and with a sinister smile, raced to his room.

"Let's see who's baby I've got!" He cackled as he turned the player in his hands. It had to be Raven or Robins. Cyborg had a built in radio in his arm and Star had covered her pink player in flower stickers and other girly things. While it was hard to say who owned the white music device, Beast Boy couldn't wait to get snooping. With little ceremony, he thumbed the center button.

"Woah." Who knew Raven would have a_ white_ iPod? He scrolled through the music, scanning through a ton of unknown artists and songs with titles he couldn't pronounce. It wasn't a big selection, and he reached the bottom pretty quickly. He looked at the pictures section- empty- and went back to music.

"Hm. 'Poetry.' Typical Raven playlist. 'Cy's Music,' how come he gets his own playlist on her iPod?" Beast Boy's frown turned into a confused scowl. "Tango... She must really like that stuff." There were five songs in the list- apparently she didn't like it that much. Beast Boy selected the first song and grabbed an earbud. The music sounded eerily familiar.

The green being racked his brains twice before giving up. The song switched. Emerald eyes widened. This was the opening song for that sexy dancer...

The memory of the dance blazed through his mind, amplified by his starved senses. The animals purred at the flashbacks, making Beast Boy dizzy. He grabbed a sort of clean outfit off the floor- it didn't smell at least- and left his room. He needed a cold shower. Pronto.

The white iPod shone with reflected floresence on the desk, forgotten.


	5. Ch 5: Plenty of Fish

"Aren't you going to eat your pizza?" Starfire eyed her green teammate nervously. It was around ten thirty at night and the team was gathered around the table for their usual feast. Well, almost the whole team.

"I know why he's upset." Cyborg snickered, his eyes glowing mischievously_, "Raven_ has been missing all night."

"Dude, I'm just not hungry." Beast Boy shot back half-heartedly. The pizza sat cold on his plate, lacking the usual allure it contained.

"She has been missing all day." Robin added, ever the serious one "Does anyone know where she is?"

The green teen's stomach dropped at the growing silence. Sure, Raven was known to be anti-social and slink around the tower by herself all day. Once, she had gone a whole week without communicating with anyone. But that was when she had first joined the team. She liked them much more now. She hardly went anywhere without telling someone first, or leaving a note.

"Perhaps," Starfire's cheery voice broke the silence, "she is out with the male dancer of the tango?"

"All day?" Cyborg retorted, half suggestively, half seriously. Beast Boy's ears drooped a little, but he perked them back up quickly.

"Imma go check her room. Maybe she came back." He made his exit quickly, attempting to avoid anymore talk of his missing teammate. The conversation immediately switched over to more enjoyable banter as the doors whirled closed behind him.

xXxXxX

"Man, you aren't even trying!" Cyborg complained for the fiftieth time as his opponent's car crashed over the side of the track. "That's it, I'm done. Night."

The robotic teen switched the Gamestation off and had stormed out of the room before Beast Boy could think of a feeble reply. They'd been playing for nearly 2 hours and it was well past midnight. The first twenty mind-numbing games had been successful in stealing his attention away from a certain missing female, but after the monotonous factor set in, they hardly helped.

Now, he was left with nothing to do and a whole lot of time to do it. His mind wandered, but it always found its way back to a certain half demon. After what seemed like an age of thinking, he switched on the television and numbly stared at infomercial after infomercial.

"You can't live without this!" The announcer belted excitedly as numbers flashed and the commercial gave way to another.

"Can't live without that my ass," Beast Boy grumbled back, "I don't need that. I do need anything but tofu and water. Nothing!" His animalistic natures growled at the glowing box, all their frustration and heat focused on the overly annoying salesmen shouting their pitches. A heavy pit of anger settled in his stomach as he stared at the blinking images. He wanted to scream. He wanted to punch something. He wanted to kick something, bite something, scratch something, to beat something's ass. He gritted his teeth and punched the power button on the remote before flipping unto his back.

The ceiling was a shady grey color from the darkness and the moon. He stared blankly at the meeting place of dark and light. It was beautiful, the way it mixed together perfectly, the way it faded from light to darker. He sighed contentedly at the grayscale collage. It was so-_Crash_!

'_So much for peaceful.'_ Beast Boy thought as he sprung from the couch. Another crash rang through the silence and then a loud shout.

"Damn!" The voice roared as the front door swung open. Beast Boy got ready to pounce on the intruder. Closer, the shadow came. Closer. Closer.

'_Almost… Go!'_ Beast Boy launched forward with a yowl. The figure stumbled backwards as Beast Boy hit it, not even bothering to move out of the way. The two rolled on the floor until the teen gained advantage rather easily.

"Dude, lamest vil- Woah!" The figure was pinned underneath the green hero- it was relatively easy. The female below him groaned lightly.

"I'm not nearly drunk enough for this to be ok."

"S-sorry!" He whimpered, watching the girl sit up and rub her head. She tried to get to her feet, all the while glaring at him, but fell back down. Her face was illuminated in the moonlight.

"Sonvab-"

"Holy shit, Raven. Are you drunk?" Beast Boy's eyes widened at the dark haired girl.

"Ya think, genuisss?" She hissed back.

No way this was the calm, collected girl he knew. It had to be a copy, some evil villain clone that came out acting drunk and he figured it'd be good enough to fool the dumb one.

"You're drunk." He repeated dumbly, staring at her. She had given up on trying to stand and was no cross-legged on the floor.

"No." The girl snapped at him, annoyance clearly sprawling across her face, "I'm not drunk enough." With a wave of her hand, a small black portal opened up and a beer dropped into her hand. The green teen's mouth fell open as he watched the usually stoic hero gulp down a mouthful of alcohol. The animals inside him roared into action, causing him to blush slightly from the images they were giving him. Then he kicked into high gear and snatched the beer away.

She clumsily reached out and smacked him as he retreated. He ignored the burning of his cheeks- half from the slap, half from embarrassment- and poured the beer down the sink. When he came back she was fumbling with the edge of her cape. Her eyes were shadowed; her head, downcast. His ears perked at a little noise- a mix of a choke and an inhale. He ventured closer and bent down in front of her. She sniffed lightly as he gently grabbed her face and tilted it upwards. Tracks of tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Aw, Rae." He whispered, dropping her face and wrapping her in a hug. For a moment, she simply sat still but then she gripped the back of his shirt. She sobbed into his chest as he smoothed her hair and rubbed her back. He heard something snap, something crack, but ignored it. Obviously, her powers were going haywire. After a few moments, her grip relaxed and her sobbing quieted, but neither moved away.

"What happened to you?" He softly asked, stroking her hair again. She stiffened at his voice and pulled back a little. He could see her eyes rimmed in red. Her hands unlatched themselves from her back and she scooted backwards a ways. Her head dropped and she rested her clenched fists on her folded legs.

"Why... Why doesn't anyone like me?" She whispered. Her voice was so sad, so hopeless, so sure, so... heartbroken- the boy had no idea what to do.

"Plenty of people like you, Rae."

"No!" She rumbled, "Nobody likes the creepy one. No matter what she does, it's always the bubbly ones they end up fucking." She laughed harshly, a humorless chuckle, "Unless you count me as being _fucked_ over, because then I'm fucked _all the time_." Her tone was so sure, but so upset, that the green teen was taken aback. He grabbed her face and gently jerked it to face his.

"Don't you ever say that again." He whispered lowly, "Robin, Cyborg, Star, me... We would all die for you. The townspeople love you. We love you." He released her slowly. It was silent for a moment as she looked at him somberly.

"Then, why can't I find my person? Robin and Starfire found each other. Cyborg and Bee will end up together." She waved a clumsy arm in a general flourish. "You had Terra." She looked at him sadly. His ears drooped at the mention of his former crush's name. There was a sad pause."When will I find mine?"

"Terra is gone, Raven." He replied softly, "I'm alone, too."

She snorted. "Not for long. You aren't creepy, you aren't anti-social. You are friendly and handsome and people like you." She poked him in the chest, "It's easy for you."

He placed a hand on her hand, pulling it off his chest slowly. "It's never easy. And you've got it wrong, Rae. You aren't alone. I've told you before." He smiled at her. "You are intelligent, unique, beauiful... You'll find someone."

Silence answered his words. His heart was beating in his chest- more than usual- as he watched her. Slowly, as if painful, she inhaled and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Thank... you." She whispered before falling forward, into his arms. She passed out right there, with a small smile on her face. Beast Boy smiled back and carefully picked her up, then put her on the couch.


	6. Ch 6:Tea and Misery

"WHAT IS THIS? ? "

The shrill, angry voice scared Beast Boy awake. With wide eyes, he scanned his room. Nothing was out of place in his scheduled mess. Blinking sleepily, he yawned. Stupid realistic dreams- The alarm blared, casting a red glow about his room. He scrambled out of his bed, not either bothering to put the blanket in its proper place.

He arrived at the common room, a grin and joke lay waiting for use. But, when the doors swung open, he had to use all his willpower to move him forward. His animalistic nature, of course, had great control over him and his emotions- at the moment, they were screaming to run. The flight or fight sense implored him to haul ass as far away as metahumanly possible.

A red faced, fuming Robin huffed and puffed as an innocent Starfire attempted to soothe him, only to be cut off by an angry grunt each time. Clutched in his white-knuckled fist was a beer bottle- the one he had emptied from Raven's... episode. His ears drooped, but his forced them back up quickly- unfortunately, not quickly enough to avoid detection from Robin.

"Beast Boy." He growled lowly, reminding the green teen of the other's dominance. He felt like a deer before a wolf jumped on it. He gulped and tried to grin. It turned out worse than when Raven tried to the day before she ended the world.

Anyways, the shape shifter was pretty sure this would be the end of his world.

"Dude... Um... That's.. um" Beast Boy's mind fumbled for an excuse, any excuse.

"That would be mine."Robin whirled on his heel to face the pale girl."I needed it for something."

"What in the world would you possibly need this-" He gestured at the bottle in his grasp "for? Do you have any idea what sort of image this would-"

"Kindly save me the lecture, Robin." Her eyes narrowed dangerously at him, "Though you seem to have forgotten, I am of legal age."

The two glared in a silent challenge before Robin finally silently turned, chucked the bottle into the trash can with a clank and stomped out of the room. Starfire cast a short look at Raven, who nodded, and the alien princess flew after the leader.

"Woah Raven," Cyborg grinned up at her as she passed to make her daily tea, "Just woah." He deposited his empty dishes, chuckling, in the sink before exiting the room. The doors swished closed, trapping an empty, awkward silence in the room. Beast Boy felt as if he was going to suffocate in a mixture of curiosity, confusion and animalistic lust.

"Beast Boy." Raven's cool monotone pulled him out of his musing, "Please control yourself." With a blush, he struggled to focus on something other than the whirlwind of emotions in his head. Maybe Raven making tea... scratch that.

"Hey, Raven?" She threw him a quick look over her shoulder to show she was listening, "Um... What was... Er. Why did you...Um.."

"Sneak out, get intoxicated, make a fool of myself and leave you to clean up my mess? I have my reasons."

The silence stretched again.

"Um... Raven, I didn't know you were 21."

"Years are shorter in my dimension. On Earth, I am technically 17. It suited me to go by Azarthian years."

"Oh... cool." The green boy thought about it for a moment, while listening to Raven rustle around the kitchen area._ What else is different in her home dimension? It must be hard to live on Earth when it's so different. _

He was pulled from his musings as a cup was shoved into his face. He stared at it dumbly for a moment before switching his gaze to her face, shielded by her hair and shadows.

"Do you want it or not?" Her monotone snapped slightly. He took the steaming mug and inhaled deeply- it sent a peaceful shiver down his body. A small sip sent another wave of peace through him- even his animal spirit seemed to calm for the first time in months.

"This is amazing. Thanks Raven." He grinned at her before taking another gulp. Another stretch of silence surround the two, but this one was a relaxed feel, not an awkward one. As he finished the tea, he looked at Raven, who sat with her eyes downast.

"Raven, are yo-"

"How did you feel when Terra left?" She blurted, eyes still downcast and hidden. He started, shocked for a moment. All the peace in his body was now gone.

"Um... sad. Shocked. Hopeless... why?"

"Are you over it?" He thought a moment, still confused. The animalistic hatred in his body was growing, as was the old longing.

"A little. You don't get over stuff like that for a while. I really... well, I liked her a whole lot. It's not something you forget easily." He heard her exhale uneasily, a sign that she was struggling with something. When she spoke, her careful monotone seemed forced.

" I thought he was my _basherter_, my soulmate. But I was wrong." His empty mug- resting on the table by the couch- cracked slightly. Without a thought, he put his arm around her shoulder. She stiffened before leaning against him a little- a comforting pose between friends. His ears drooped slightly at the thought. Suddenly, his ears perked was the perfect time to do_ it. _

"Hey Raven?"

She nodded at him to show she was listening, "knock, knock."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Knock, knock! Hey, where are you going? Raven, come back!"


	7. Ch 7: All Roads Lead to BB's Room

Everyone knew that if something went missing, the first place to check was Beast Boy's room. It was common knowledge that the green boy was quite curious and always horded away "interesting" artifacts… only to forget about them. He had taken everything from a ceremonial dagger, to a specially made car part, to the key for a private Dojo… once he had even horded the male version of a Tameranian thong. Needless to say, he was like some odd ball rich man with nothing better to do.

And since Raven couldn't find her iPod anywhere, she knew just where to look.

Frankly, it was annoying that Beast Boy was the living vacuum of the tower. She had once left a peculiar looking tin of tea in the kitchen, which he had picked up. Three months later, he found it under a pile of deceased-smelling clothes after Robin had ordered him to clean. She had cracked accidentally a window when he returned it, smiling sheepishly. '_Serves me right, trying to have something fancy in the tower._' She sighed, pausing at his door.

She could feel him moving around inside, all his intensely animalistic emotions causing her heart to leap. It was partially frightening- she was human after all, and they did tend to fear the overwhelmingly dominant feeling- and partially, well… exciting. Whenever she was around him, it was like a shot of adrenaline. Flirting with danger had never really been her thing, but years of crime fighting tended to do that to you.

Still, the amount of pure emotions that rolled off him sometimes made her blush. Either that, or ignore him all day and meditate on the roof. '_Joys of being an Empath_.' She knew his animal lust was directed at everyone- male or female- though it tended to be stronger with females. She also knew that he couldn't control it, that it had nothing to do with his actual preferences. She understood the reasons, the how and the why. She certainly was no fool. She was an excellent Empath, one of the best on Azarath. But she couldn't for the life of her understand _why_ those feelings got so tremendously daunting when he looked at her.

For now, since it was so early in the morning, she decided it would be easiest to face him- knock, get iPod, have a nice day. He'd still be in a state of semi-unconsciousness until eleven, which meant his senses would also be dulled. Nodding briskly to herself, she knocked on the door.

She listened as, customarily, he stumbled up, stubbed his toe, cursed, and finally flung the door open- as far as it would go in the mess. A strange, ominous smell seeped towards her. Raven ignored the need to run away and bathe.

"You should learn to clean." She dryly commented, violet eyes scanning the mountain of mess behind him.

"Uh, right…" He grinned shyly before holding back a yawn. "Why are you here?"

"You have my iPod." Raven gritted out, narrowing her eyes at him. Beast Boy was like a child. He needed to know for sure when someone was angry at him, and why, or he would never learn. She was all too happy to comply.

Beast Boy, sensing her loathing, backed away slightly…the little sucker. She took a step closer, through the door.

"Well?" She inspected the room as she spoke, growing more and more disgusted. She doubted even Starfire had that many clothes- let alone dirty ones. "Is that…. Pizza?" '_Oh Azar.._' "On second thought, don't answer that."

"Ixnay on the etailday. Loud and clear, Ray." He began to dig around the room while she eyed the "pizza" with growing concern. Previously, she was blissfully unaware that soy and tufo products could mold, but judging by the layer of fuzzy whiteness on the surface- it could. She shuddered, trying to ignore the green slime pooling around the base. The rest of the room looked no better. They were going to need a professional cleaning company to get this relatively clean... scratch that, it would take a biohazard team.

"Erm, it's around here somewhere, I swear." Beast Boy- transformed to a canine form- dug through a pile of clothes with reckless abandon. Raven dodged a pair of boxers, trying to keep her temper in check.

"Beast Boy!" He turned to face her, tongue lolling out. The tension in the air swelled, the impulses making Raven lightheaded for a moment. The animal lust- so pure and strong- had come out of nowhere, catching her with her guard down. She quickly gathered her wits, steeling herself against the closed door. "Control yourself... and I will help you clean."

He morphed into his human self, and immediately, a large part of the lust dissipated. He nervously rubbed the back of his head, chuckling uncomfortably. Why she had ever volunteered herself for such a hopeless venture, she would never understand. Perhaps, it was a negative consequence of the strong emotions clouding her mind.

"Gee, Raven! Thanks!"

"Make no mistake- this is only until I find what's mine."

He had already dived into a pile of things, rigorously sorting through the various items. With a sigh, she joined suit, using her powers to shift away several questionable items.

So much for her plans for the day... Maybe the week.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

It was about midday when Beast Boy finally broke the silence.

"Here it is! I found it!" He churped in a sing-song voice. It couldn't have come at a better time- the mix of the odd smell, the lust, and just being around Beast Boy were doing horrible wonders to her brain. She could seriously feel the cells dying one by one as the seconds ticked by.

Fortunately, their task had put a dent in the garbage heap known as her teammate's room. The carpet- though likely in need of several deep cleaning treatments- was visible in a good portion of the room. The closet could maybe be closed, and the door to the room could be opened all the way- finally.

"Excellent. I'll be going now." She held her hand out. He stood, turning the glimmering device in his hands.

"Oh, I don't think so, Raven." Her eyebrows rose at the frank candor in his voice.

"And, why, pray tell, would you dare?"

"Well, the way I figure it, I have something you want. And you have something I want. So, let's strike a deal."

"Someone paid attention to one of Robin's seminars, I see."

"Sure did!"

"Could have fooled me, I thought you were asleep."

"Appearances can be disleading."

"Deceiving or misleading… Are you sure you didn't learn it off a movie?"

"You caught me. They had to come in handy sometime other than with Control Freak."

"I guess so... now, iPod."

"I'm 'fraid not, miss. This is my hostage."

"I am starting to get very, _very_ annoyed, Beast Boy. I'd advise, for the health of this tower and you: Give. Me. The. IPod." The cackling black energy pitching around her was a testament to just how aggravated she was. But, unlike the usual times, the green male did not back down. In fact, she could feel his need for dominance sparking her own irate emotions.

"Hm… Make. Me." He stuck out his tongue at her, clambering up the nearby desk, which was still unsorted. A pillow exploded on his bed as she lunged forward. He managed to hop away in the knick of time.

Both knew to the other's battle movements. They could anticipate each other. This could go all day- they both realized it after ten minutes of cat-and-mouse.

"Ok, what do you want?" She grunted out, lunging again for the iPod.

He expertly dodged. "Help me finish cleaning."

"Not happening." She huffed, jumping again.

"Then say goodbye to RayPod." He leaped away, happening to land awkwardly and stumbled. She took her opportunity and pounced, landing on top of him. He wriggled underneath her, flailing his arms away from the pale girl. She grabbed at the flashing metal, and grabbed again, just missing it each time.

"Hold still!" She grunted, looking down to pierce him with a glare. But the moment their eyes locked… time stopped.

Both stopped moving, a divine peace passing silently between the two. The air became heavy- both were already panting from their fight- but was suddenly not there anymore. Raven could feel the animal lust stifling the both of them, tangling with the heat of their bodies. The addictive dizziness seeped into her mind. The intensity of the gaze sent shivers down her spine. She knew she should get off, get away, escape. How could she, when he was looking right through to her soul?

Ages later- generations maybe- the tweeting of a communicator broke the spell. Raven scrambled off, flipping her hood to hide her blushes. Beast Boy gave her a nervous grin as he answered.

"There were noises of a fight coming from your room. Is everything ok?" Robin's voice rang from the device.

"Yeah, I was just… cleaning." He chanced another glance at Raven, who was fervently ignoring him.

"Cleaning. Are you sure you're ok?" The titan sounded skeptical even through the distortion of the com.

"Yes! Dude~" He whined, frowning at the screen.

"Alright. Training at 4." A click signaled the conversation was over.

The green shape-shifter turned to his company, trademark nervous head-rub in tow.

"So, that was-"

Raven chose that moment to propel herself at him.

"Arg!"

Catching a person offhand was a dirty move, but she was no too far above that. Unfortunately, hero training kicked in, and her target flitted just out of reach, back on top of the desk.

"Now, Ray, this again?" He teased, fitting much more easily into the usual roles.

She clawed at his legs, pulling them out from underneath him. Down he went, unrooting a chair in his getaway. This sent the moldy perhaps-pizza flying through the air: right into Raven's face.

Beast Boy had the sense to duck under the bed before the impending explosion.

Residents of Jump City still fearfully recall that day. Most don't dare to speak about it.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

**Wow. It has been a while! I apologize for the wait. Of course, I never intended for this to be a scheduled update thing, but I had at least hoped to update more than once every few years! **

**Thanks for those who stuck around! More to come soon, that is a promise! Until then, I hope you enjoyed, and have a good life! **


	8. Ch 8: Pizza Parlor Peril

It had taken a week for Raven to allow Beast Boy into her presence again. The team, hoping to avoid another scene, had helped to isolate the two. The previous day she had ventured silently into the Ops Room, sitting on the opposite end of the couch. Everyone had frozen, tensed for battle, but she silently scanned her book. She didn't even look up at Beast Boy. She did, however, eat dinner with the team, and that meant one thing: She was finally forgiving him.

To celebrate, Robin suggested they go out for pizza. Despite the loll in crime, the team hardly spent bonding time, mostly opting to take advantage of the slump so they could explore hobbies. Now was certainly a time to get together, to celebrate "The Thaw", as Beast Boy had termed it.

The creation of personal sized pizzas made the typical fight over the type of pie obsolete. That did little to stop the usual animated debate of meat vs fake meat. As of late, Starfire had taken up the argument, rigorously exalting the wonders of Mustard.

Raven looked to her right, exchanging a small smile with Robin. As annoying at their little quarrels could get, sometimes it was nice to get back to the basics. It reminded her of back when the team first started. If someone had told her she would look back on those first years so fondly, all nostalgic, she would have laughed. Even the most grating nuances were now cherished traits, things that made the Titans what they were.

Funny how things can grow on you, like mold on a soy-and-tofu pizza.

"Hey, Rach!" The greeting broke her musings. Her head whipped up, locking eyes with a deep brown pair. Her heart throbbed and sunk in the same instance. Those eyes could only belong to one person.

"Gabriel." Her tone with expressionless, hiding the slice of pain that radiated with every rapid heart-beat.

"Frigid as always." A smooth, seductive voice drew Raven's eyes away. Whatever pain she had felt was gone, lost in an undertow of breath-taking anger. She exhaled, trying to calm herself.

"What a surprise, to see you both here. It's quite a ways away from the hour motel." She flashed a fake smile at the girl, watching with a sense of satisfaction as she glowered at the innuendo. Raven wasn't far off, judging by how tiny her skirt was. The two stared at each other, a mini-nuclear war exploding between them.

"Did Raven just… burn her?" Both girls turned to shoot Beast Boy a deadly glare. He "eep"-ed and ducked behind Cyborg, who had paused eating midway to his mouth.

"Is everything ok, Raven?" Robin's attention shifted between both girls, trying to determine the threat.

"Peachy." She spat, clenching her hands beneath the table.

"Hey, knock it off, Blaire." The newcomer turned back to Raven, ignoring the snort from his companion. "I- we were, um, worried about you." The man- Gabriel- fidgeted under her skeptical gaze when it turned to him. "Honest, Rach."

"Well, as you can see, I am perfectly fine." She gestured vaguely. "Sorry to disappoint you." The silence between the three stretched.

"Um, who are you?" Beast Boy finally caved under the pressure. Raven turned to him, all ablaze with concealed fury- but instead of backing down: "And why do they call you Rach?"

"Her name _is _Rachel." The other girl replied with a scoff.

"They are no one of consequence." Raven inwardly smirked- Gabriel had the decency to look wounded. Of course, she knew he wasn't. He was just saving face, like always: the perfect poster boy.

"I'm Gabriel, but I guess you know that. This is Blaire." He awkwardly shuffled in place a moment. "I'm sorry we met under such circumstances. Though I believe we've met from afar."

At this point, Blaire had taken to fervently examining her polished nails. Satisfied she had won the round, Raven took to meditating in place. Though it was not her ideal, she needed to stop the tornado of pain and anger coursing through her. She could feel the dark energy gathering around her clenched hands, hidden under the table. She chanted under her breath, grounding herself with an untouched slice of cheese pizza on her plate. The conversation continued around her, barely registering to her.

"No offense, but I think I would have remembered someone who Raven was so hostile with." Robin radiated confidence, his arms crossed defensively over his chest in that pouty way of his. He had stood when the hostile exchange began.

"We weren't always like this."

"Speak for yourself." Blaire added, still looking sour.

"Oh, I remember." Starfire gasped, drawing the attention. "This is the friend of Raven which was at the tango show!"

"Ah, yes. At least someone remembers." He gave her a weak smile, obviously upset that he was no recalled earlier. "Did Raven not tell you about me?" He looked at her; she could feel his eyes on her. She flushed deeply, still ignoring everything. _Please, Beast Boy, stay quiet. Please, don't be smart now!_

After a small silence, Robin supplied: "Not really. Raven's personal life has always been personal."

She heard him exhale deeply, probably after running a hand down his face. It was what he did when he was upset or annoyed. At least he was showing _some_ type of emotion towards her.

"Look, ok? I don't want to fight. I'm sorry we've pissed you off. I just want our manager back. We need her back, ok? Raven, we need you." All eyes shifted to the half-demon. Knowing she couldn't ignore anything now- and since her emotions were more under control- she leveled with his eyes. They were still breath-taking, the way they sparkled and shone. "You know you can't walk away. You can't risk it anyways. You know what will happen if you don't."

"Is that a threat?" Robin jumped in, resting his hand on his belt. It was a warning with a clear message: mess with one of the Titans: mess with all. Raven rested a hand on his, gently removing it from his belt.

"No, he's right. I know the consequences." Raven stood, not meeting anyone's eyes. She could feel the tension from her team, now that her own emotions were not masking them. She offered them a tight, forced smile. Hopefully, it would reassure them, but she doubted it. She face the other two, muttering: "I will see you both tomorrow at practice."

She turned towards the door, obviously planning on leaving. The angst piercing her chest was going to tear her alive. She just needed to get away, to meditate alone somewhere. As she passed between the two, someone grabbed her hand and twirled her around. She was facing Gabriel, wrapped in his arms. She almost swooned, but caught herself.

"We have a lot to talk about. Please don't-" _**Slap!**_

Raven cut him off with a resounding slap. She heard a variety of gasps from behind her. His face was already tingling red. She could only imagine how much it much hurt, because her own hand was numb.

"Don't you _**DARE**_." She growled out. "I will see you tomorrow." Her portal swallowed her up without another second passing.

"Well that was…" Beast Boy broke off, not sure how to finish. No one else bothered.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Beast Boy was worried. It was dark- hours after the incident at the pizza place. No one had heard or seen Raven since she walked out of the restaurant, leaving them all with a ton of questions. After a quick discussion, they decided she would- as usual- show up when she settled. Maybe she would answer their questions, but most likely she wouldn't.

They had pieced together the little information they had, but still were left with more questions that anything. Even Robin, the logical one of group, failed to make any sense of it. They were all resigned to the fact it would likely be yet another mystery filed under the "Raven" section of their memories.

Everyone except Beast Boy, that is.

Even though he wasn't the intellectual of the group, he held the missing key. Even if he wasn't part animal, he could identify human emotions and their reasoning in a heartbeat. He smelt the sweat, heard her racing heart, and nobody missed the obvious animosity between the two pale girls. He watched the hurt flash across her face- he read into the cool, detached voice she used when trying to hide something. And he had an idea about what.

He thought back to a night weeks ago- when Raven was drunk- and the day after. She spoke about thinking a man was her soulmate, but he cheated on her. Surely, that explained everything.

It was all so apparent, even an idiot could see.

Obviously, Raven was in a secret lesbian relationship with Blaire, who had cheated on her with Gabriel. She, of course, wouldn't want anyone to know, so she made sure it _sounded_ like a man cheated on her. It was just the level of ingenuity she was infamous for, the crafty demon. Well, half-demon.

Beast Boy was also a man of action. He understood what needed to be done, and he was just the man to do it. He would track the woman down, and choke the truth outta her.

Since it was nearly eleven, and midweek, none of the creepy cafes would be open. She wasn't in her room, and the park wasn't her style. If she were anywhere in this dimension (which she might not have been), there was only one place left.

"I thought you might be here." He grinned widely, looking at the outline of Raven in the moonlight. She sat still, even when he squatted beside her. "I know what happened. It must have been hard, having your girlfriend cheat on you. I mean, that Gabriel guy was attractive enough."

"Excuse me, you think _what_?" Beast Boy scooted away. Raven was literally shaking with anger. He stammered, trying to determine what to say to evade being murdered.

"You think I am a _lesbian_?" Beast Boy let out the breath he was holding. She was _laughing. _

"Well, it's good you can laugh about it. It still very fresh, I'm sure."

"Beast Boy, I am _not_ a lesbian."

"Oh, well… what?"

"Beast Boy, Gabriel cheated on me, with that, _that thing_ called Blaire."

"Oh, so you're _not_ a lesbian?"

"No, Beast Boy, I prefer men." She paused, glaring at him. Her emotions switched in a second. "Do I _look _like a lesbian?"

"No! No! I was just being dumb, and stupid, and, and Iamreallysorrydonotkillme!"

"At least you admit it." She was laughing again. He tried to pretend to be affronted but ended up laughing along with her. "Thanks, Beast Boy… You always make me feel better."

"It's what I do." He felt his chest swell at the praise. He gave his trademark goofy grin to her. "So, where do you know those guys?"

"I manage their act at the club." She paused, rolling her eyes at his _duh_. "We met at a tango class- what? We had a lot of free time after the Brotherhood fiasco. Gabriel was my partner. He was way better than I was." She grinned self-consciously, "I'm really a terrible dancer. Anyways, he wanted to take the act on the road, but I didn't. So, I found him someone who would: Blaire. That one came back to bite me." She laughed, but instead of the light chirp, it was dark.

"Well, I'm sure you weren't a _terrible_ dancer."

"And why would you say that?"

"Well you're pretty graceful… on the battlefield I mean."

"How would you like to eat those words?"

"Rachel, are you asking me to dance?"

"Are you chicken or something, Garfield?"

"Low blow, Ray."

"I believe you started it, Gar."

"You'll have to teach me."

"I'm an _excellent_ teacher."

"Do go easy on me, Teach."

"Come on, let's dance."

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

**Grounding in PTSD: "Grounding techniques are essential to help people remain focussed and in the present. They can be used to prevent arousal from getting too high during trauma reprocessing."**

**These can also be used to calm any overwhelming emotion. Grounding involves examining something- the feel, appearance, taste, smell, ect. People use it all the time, for instance, staring at something to keep from crying.**

**If you were wondering Raven was grounding a pizza. -.- **

**I know, your mind exploded. Two updates in a week. :P**

**Anyways, now on to the main plotline. If I may say a word on it?**

**I had originally had a different idea, but I lost that outline a lonngggg time ago. -.-' Anyways, I created a new one, and I'm really proud of it. Yes, it will involve Gabriel, Raven, Blaire (who is Mascára) and Chispas (will be introduced again later) as well as a couple other newbies. I'm excited, but I've never really written action scenes before, so I'm a little worried. **

**-Spotteh**


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